Welcome, Geoffrey Woodland: A Conversation @ Google Classroom

Welcome, Geoffrey Woodland!

We are pleased to have you with us this week in the Teaching & Learning and Integrating Technology communities to talk about the many ways teachers can use Google Classroom.

To get us started, Geoff, can you tell us how easy is it to use Google Classroom?

  • Are all adult education programs eligible to use Google Classroom?

  • How can adult educators/programs sign up? 

  • Is there a cost?

  • What are the basic features of Google Classroom?

Members, please feel free to pose questions to Geoff about Google Classroom, and if you have used Google Classroom, let us know how it has worked for you. 

We are looking forward to a great discussion this week!

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP

Geoff's Bio:

Geoffrey Woodland is an instructor/curriculum developer for the College and Career Readiness (CCR) program at District 1199C’s Training and Upgrading Fund in Philadelphia. In addition, he is an adjunct instructor facilitating online and blended courses at the Pennsylvania Institute of Technology (PIT) and serves on the board for Healthcare for All PA and PAACE.  Prior to his career in education, Geoff dedicated 12 years to the non-profit sector with appointments ranging from direct care and volunteer recruitment to board advisory and program management.

As an educator, Geoff uses technology to create and integrate occupationally relevant materials that empower adult learners to reach personal and professional goals while also meeting Adult Basic Education (ABE) standards.  His recent work involves implementing Integrated Education and Training (IET) that provides adult education and literacy activities concurrently and contextually with workforce preparation.  In addition, he is piloting active learning within "flipped classrooms" for adult learners using a variety of Learning Management Systems (LMS).

Geoff recently completed DiverseForce On Boards - Board Leadership & Governance Program at the University of Pennsylvania.  He also graduated from Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP) and was a member of the men’s basketball team that went to the Division II Final Four in 1995. After earning a B.A. in Communications and Journalism, he continued his education at IUP earning a M.A. in Adult Education and Communications Technology. While in his M.A. program, Geoff focused on distance education and worked in a program that piloted online education in the late 1990s.

Comments

Hi all!

Pleasure to be here! I think I can tackle the first few questions into one bucket and highlight some of the features within another comment thread.

The platform is absolutely free.  The question is whether your program qualifies for a  “G Suite” option.

There are four (4) general options:

  • G Suite for Education
  • G Suite for Non-Profits
  • G Suite for Business
  • Personal Accounts for individuals over the age of 13

Based on the audience and varied assumptions, we’ll ignore G Suite for Business.  

G Suite for Education is a platform of free Google tools and services that are tailored for schools and home schools.  In order to qualify for G Suite Education your program must have the following criteria:  

  • Verified not-for-profit status
  • Accredited educational institution delivering approved certifications
  • Home schools that are verified by the specific state’s home school qualifications

If your school or program fit the above criteria, you will need to complete a G Suite for Education application.  Once completed, it takes about 2 weeks to process the application.

Your program may not be eligible for G Suite for Education if it receives “academic or operational funding from national or local government, such as military academies and public libraries.” 

 

If your program is not eligible for G Suite for Education, you may consider G Suite for Non Profits. The general eligibility requirement is that the program isregistered as a charitable organizationall organizations must be verified as a nonprofit organization.”  This gets into very “murky” territory so I’ve included links below. 

 

Many adult education programs use a wide variety of funding options from a diversity of entities and generally operate under a non-accredited status.  I would strongly recommend that each program consult with their administration team and thoroughly review the various G Suite options prior to implementing a wide spread Google Classroom plan; however, I would also encourage instructors to create some sample classes with their personal account and play with the features.

 

Anecdotally, I have had conversations with instructors who work in adult education programs that have applied and been denied for G Suite for Education.  There are several variables and considerations that go into the application so that is why a thorough administrative review with applicable team members is recommended. 

Personal accounts are extremely easy to create and setup.  I’m a visual person, so I added a link below to a brief Power Point called Creating a Personal Google Classroom Account.

With a free Gmail account, users can go to the “widgets” and click on the Google Classroom application.  From there they can either “join” or “create” a class.   

 

 

G Suite for Education: 

https://edu.google.com/products/gsuite-for-education/?modal_active=none

 

G Suite for Non Profits:

https://www.google.com/nonprofits/offerings/apps-for-nonprofits/

 

Creating a Personal Google Classroom Account: 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/12q1IO1otOOESXEVRMCr9HwGRCZosPCbI/view?usp=sharing

 

Google Classroom FAQ: 

https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/6025224?hl=en

 

Although there are some limited features with a personal account, the existing features make the Google Classroom a powerful platform. With a free Gmail account, you have access to the “Google Ecosystem”.  Students and teachers can access the classroom, Google Docs, Google Drive and similar Google applications.

 

 

To highlight the power of the Google Classroom, here are some excerpts from Google Classroom: What Works and How? :

 

It provides a set of powerful features that make it an ideal tool to use with students.

 

Classroom helps teachers save time, keep classes organized, and improve communication with students. It is available to anyone with Google Apps for Education, a free suite of productivity tools including Gmail, Drive and Docs.

 

Manage the creation and collection of student assignments in a paperless environment, basically leveraging the framework of Google Docs, Drive and other Apps

 

Google Classroom has the potential to streamline communication and workflow for students by providing a single access point to discussion threads and assigned work.

 

Here are some general features of the Google Classroom:

  • Reuse assignments, tests or other course content in future classes since content is cloud-based within Google Drive
  • Add content to assignments, such as video, PDFs, various Google, and Word documents consist with Fair Use policy
  • Share videos, links or images from other websites
  • View assignments, announcements, and other resources
  • Integrate due dates and milestones with Google Calendar
  • Export grades to various formats
  • Set permissions to edit, comment, or post
  • Co-teach and set permissions for creating and managing classrooms
  • Mobile-friendly with Android and Apple IOS

 

There are some added features, administrative settings, and “bells and whistles” with G Suite for Education.  One of those G Suite specific features is the benefit of additional privacy and security.  G Suite also has a robust grading application. This is essential for large school districts and accredited programs.

 

Here is a chart of some additional differences:

Activity or feature

G Suite or school
account 

Personal Google Account

Teachers per class

20

20

Class members (teachers
and students)

1,000

250

Classes you can join

1,000

100 maximum, 30 per day

Classes you can create

No limit

30 per day

Class-member invitations
you can send

No limit

100 per class, per day

Guardians per student

20

Feature not available

Email address visibility

No limit

Feature not available

 

Even with these differences, a Personal Google Account provides more than enough flexibility and capacity to service most adult and community-based educational programs.

The real power and possibility of the Google Classroom is the potential to create an active learning environment using a “flipped classroom” instructional method.  The application is flexible and is easily accessible and useable to instructors and learners in both face-to-face learning environments and fully online environments.  The ability to streamline communication and reduce the consumption of paper within a single point of access opens several possibilities for sharing and organizing content.   

The Google Classroom encourages collaboration.  Instructors can easily add students by sending an invite or sharing a code.  Students can see assignments, participate in real-time discussions, and submit their work on a single platform.  The diversity of mediums that can be integrated within the classroom can make learning dynamic.  

Google Classroom integrates with hundreds of external applications and websites.  Some of these applications may partner with Google, while others can be considered third-party add-ons in the Chrome store.  For example, Google Classroom can integrate with Quizlet and Khan Academy. 

 

Below are some resources I though maybe beneficial in creating a classroom and understanding its potential.

 

Power Point: Google Classroom Features:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1pE-T89od6dAjZG--RKBcqPBU5J-VvJpq/view?usp=sharing

 

 

The New Google Classroom – Video Tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=M6L-nZGIUTE&feature=emb_logo

 

 

Google Classroom:  What Works and How?

https://www.jesoc.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/KC3_35.pdf

 

Geoffrey, you have provided some great information and materials to introduce Google Classroom. I especially appreciate the resources you provided links to at the bottom of your last post. 

I have a few questions for you:

1. Could you provide some recommended learning steps for teachers who are brand new to Google tools (Documents, Forms, Sheets, Slides, etc.,) Google Sites, Google Drive, Google Suite and ... Google Classroom? How does a real technology novice, who may be a little uncomfortable learning about these tools and platforms, begin and progress to become a sophisticated user of Google Classroom?

2. Since Google classroom is an LMS -- a system that is supposed to help students and teachers in teaching and learning -- what are some of the time-consuming teaching, learning, communication, motivation or other instructional challenges that you, as a teacher, have found that Google Classroom helps you to meet?

3. What are some of the most exciting ways that you have been able to use Google tools in your Google classroom(s)?

I also hope that Integrating Technology members who are Google Classroom users will weight in on any or all of my three questions.

David J. Rosen, Moderator

LINCS CoP Integrating technology group

David, these are some great questions!   

As far as recommended first steps for a novice, I would say, "less is more".  I would take a measured approach by thinking about integrating the classroom with one lesson as opposed to a full cohort or class.   I would recommend that instructors find one lesson he or she is comfortable with use that as the foundation for their first Google class.   Next, I would recommend that he or she think about materials and mediums that could supplement the lesson or could be used for assessment.   An easy entry point is using a YouTube video, I use TedTalks, that reinforce the concept or theory from the aforementioned lesson.  Most instructors and students are familiar and comfortable with YouTube and it is as easy as “cut and paste” to embed a video within Google Classroom.  In addition, I would recommend instructors use a simple word document as their assessment tool for that initial class.   Most instructors have worksheets and are comfortable with Word.   Word documents can be connected to the Google Classroom in a similar fashion as attaching a document to an email.   I would conclude by having the instructor write a simple narrative of the lesson to be placed in the lesson description box.   The link to the slide show on Google Classroom features will have some snapshots.  

Google Classroom has really helped to streamline communication; implementing a “flipped classroom” has helped cultivate vibrate in-class discussions.   Communication between instructor to student and student to student can be fragmented.  Email can be especially frustrating since our inbox is over saturated and it is an asymmetrical communication tool.   A 30-second email may require 10 to 15 minutes for an adequate response.  In addition, most questions don’t require an email.   The commenting and communication system in the classroom is similar to a text message when you are on the platform.  If you are on the phone app, you can have a real-time conversation.  As a backup, a notification will go to your email to cue you that a message is waiting. I enjoy the commenting feature because the comment can be embedded within the specific lesson or assignment so the context is specific.  Email can sometimes require several messages to see which assignment the student is questioning.  The other element is the “flipped classroom” model.   For those unfamiliar, Students are given pre-work (videos, readings, etc) and class time is reserved for conversations based on this pre-work. The Google Classroom gives instructors a platform to shift the paradigm of the traditional stand and deliver class experience to one with vibrant discussions and instructor/student observations.   The instructor almost has limitless possibilities of videos, websites, and documents he or she can embed in the classroom as pre-work.   With the student now having proper context and foundational ideas established from the pre-work, vibrant debates, informed questions, and project/problem-based instruction supplants the lecture.    

Geoffrey,

Thanks for sharing such detailed information about Google Classroom! I wanted to buddy up on your comment, "The instructor almost has limitless possibilities of videos, websites, and documents he or she can embed in the classroom as pre-work," per a request from one of my colleagues. 

As you have mentioned, there are a number of tools that directly integrate into Google Classroom, which makes it super easy to assign activities, lessons, videos, and more. My organization, CrowdED Learning, has been organizing a number of free and open education resources to the College + Career Readiness Standards for Adult Education as part of the development of our database / learning plan generation tool, SkillBlox. Even though SkillBlox is not quite ready for prime time yet, many of the alignments of free resources to standards are available on our SkillBlox info page. So, instructors can use these alignments to 1) find a skill/standard they teach, 2) view the specific resource, and then, 3) assign the resource via Google Classroom. 

The following resources have both alignments to the standards and Google Classroom integration, meaning you can simply open the resource and then click the Google Classroom icon to assign it (some require first importing classes): 

  • Reading: ReadWorks, CommonLit
  • Math: CK-12, Khan Academy, PhET Simulations
  • Language: Quill

Beyond it being really easy to bring in content and activities from other sources, what I think is most compelling about Classroom is the ability teachers have to truly integrate digital literacy into instruction. Rather than just tracking completion of resources and checking a box, the ability to include tools such as Docs, Sheets, and Slides within assignments gives teachers the opportunity to develop learners presentation, word processing, and spreadsheet skills, while working in an online environment that can be used to build skills in communication skills.

Thank you again for sharing all this great info :) I'm definitely learning a lot!

Jeff,

That is incredible! The alignment to standards and practices is essential and always in the back of the instructor's mind.   I look forward to checking out https://www.crowdedlearning.org/skillblox over the holiday!  The integration of the classroom with tools and apps makes this such a powerful platform!  Thanks for the kind words and, of course, sharing SkillBlox!    

Hi Geoff, Thanks for all the great and detailed information you have shared with us so far about Google Classroom. Could you say a word about how teachers and learners can track progress? How can teachers integrate formative and summative assessments into this online space?

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP

Hi Susan,

 

There are a number of tools that Google Classroom offers to make tracking and grading a fairly easy process. G Suite for Education offers a more comprehensive grading tool with the ability to add a parent or guardian while the personal account offers some basic features.  Here are a few highlights:

 

  • View student submissions
  • Enter grades
  • Return work with notes and feedback
  • View overall grades
  • Download and export the grade book

 

Entering grades within Google Classroom syncs between the grading tool, the Grades page, and the Student work page. 

Another feature is that work can have specific color codes to denote the status:

  • Red—Missing work.
  • Green—Turned in work or draft grade.
  • Black—Returned work.

In addition, Google Classroom allows for the creation of rubrics that enable the instructor to grade and give feedback.  Instructors have the ability to select rubric ratings and enter rubric points while grading assignments.  The rubric is currently in the beta version

There are a variety of assessments that can be connected with the Google Classroom.   Some formative assessment options could be exit tickets/quizzes and “questions” that can be created within the classwork section of the classroom.  Exit tickets and questions are especially helpful to use at the conclusion of class to see if lesson objectives were met or if there are any additional questions. From a summative standpoint, Google Classroom gives instructors the ability to embed third-party applications like Khan Academy within the classroom.   Khan Academy has assessments built within their platforms so instructors can quantify progress in specific content areas. As always, instructors can attach traditional tests in the form of a pdf or a word document.  Instructors could also scan their exams and attach them to the classroom as a document.   Students can download, print, and complete their work or use Google Docs to complete assignments then attach for successful completion.  

 

 

Google for Education – Teacher Center:

https://teachercenter.withgoogle.com/first-day-trainings/welcome-to-classroom

 

View and Update the Grade Book:

https://support.google.com/edu/classroom/answer/9199710

 

Rubrics Beta Version FAQ:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1cfyhgId7ozjx8mQc-obayrAtxoG87_fXQNKUPRzfa7Q/edit

 

Hi Geoff, You've given us a lot to consider and many links to explore. I'm guessing that some members may have time to dig into Google Classroom during the holiday break.

Here are a few additional more general questions for you:

  • Have you seen any ways that using Google Classroom helps students to acquire better digital literacy skills?
  • Do you know of teachers who may be using HyperDocs with Google Classroom? If so, how do they use them?

And finally, what would you say are the main advantages for teachers using Google Classroom? Do you, by chance, see any disadvantages?

Cheers, Susan Finn Miller

Moderator, Teaching & Learning CoP

I think students can acquire essential digital skills by continuously navigating through the classroom and sampling the attached mediums.  The more a student plays with the platform, the more intuitive it becomes.   The Google Classroom is also a wonderful bridge to more robust platforms like Canvas and Blackboard.   The aforementioned are used in many post-secondary institutions and the expectation is that students have the digital literacy skills prior to enrolling in blended or online classes. Challenging the student to explore ways of completing assignments or communicating with the class through the platform has shown positive results.   I reassure the students they will not “break” the platform or delete information since I have specific settings installed and the information is backed up in the Google Drive. I had a gentleman who could barely log into his Gmail account at the beginning of a class.   With some onboarding and encouragement, the student independently explored the platform and eventually was able to log in, access content, communicate, and attach assignments without my assistance.    

Google Education has some interesting modules for applied digital skills.  I left a link below.   

 

I haven’t had the opportunity to really dive into Hyperdocs, but based on my understanding of Hyperdocs there is great potential.  I found a quick video on how to attach Hyperdocs to the Google Classroom.   This could be a fabulous addition to those who have been using Hyperdocs within their classroom. 

 

The main advantage of the classroom is the ability to implement active learning along with a “flipped classroom” model.   Another advantage is the ability to use a variety of mediums to contextualize learning and accommodate a variety of learning styles.   When you look at Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences, you see there are several variations of learners within a given class setting.   The traditional “lecture” method hits on a fraction of the potential learning types.  The Google Classroom allows the instructor to engage a wide variety of learners with a diversity of mediums.  This also shifts the instructor to become more of a facilitator who navigates their learners through interesting questions and problems.

 

The disadvantage, with any LMS, is when the instructor does not use it as a way to leverage effective instruction, but as the primary mode of instruction.   The materials should encourage the learner to ask meaningful questions and engage in critical thinking skills. The platform does not replace instructors, but rather reframes their role within the classroom.    

 

 

 

Attaching a Hyperdoc to the Google Classroom:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEkh2XcGE10

 

Google Education – Applied Digital Skills

https://applieddigitalskills.withgoogle.com/en/teaching-resources